Invisible Fetters and the Quest for Freedom: Patriarchy and Our Inner Struggle

Why is it that we call women goddesses yet bind them to service? Why do we worship Lakshmi but imagine her pressing Vishnu’s feet? Why does freedom, when claimed by women, look like rebellion? These are not casual questions — they cut to the roots of our conditioning.

From childhood, society whispers rules into our ears. We learn who we are supposed to be before we even know ourselves. Across centuries, men have held authority in India and beyond — shaping religion, stories, and laws. Look at our scriptures: most sages were married, yet the title of Brahmarishi was reserved for men alone. Even in imagined heavens, pleasure belongs to men, with women reduced to objects of desire. Why do we never hear of a man sent to tempt a meditating woman? Why is the story always one way?

Patriarchy has been clever in its disguise. It praises women as “symbols of sacrifice” or “goddesses of the home,” but beneath the praise lies control. By glorifying domestic servitude, it convinces women that their confinement is sacred. This is not respect — it is captivity dressed as honor.

And the effect runs deep. After centuries of exclusion, when freedom finally comes, many women may hesitate — not because they lack strength, but because choice itself was denied for so long. Society, uneasy at this shift, reacts with judgment or anger, often from both men and women. Fear of losing control hides beneath these reactions.

History does record sparks of resistance. Women like Gargi, Maitreyi, and Lopamudra stood up, questioned sages, and spoke wisdom in public debates. Yet their voices remain faint in our collective memory, overshadowed by male-dominated narratives. Today’s struggles are not new — they are echoes of a long silence.

But here lies the real question: can freedom be given at all? Or must it be discovered, lived, and claimed by each individual? If society calls women “goddess,” does it not also reduce them to an image, stripping away their humanity? Is worship just another way of control?

The truth is, freedom is not merely social permission; it is inner clarity. When women live without the weight of imposed roles — not as property, not as symbols, not even as “goddesses” — then a deeper strength awakens. It is not against men, nor in comparison with them. It is simply the flowering of one’s own being.

Even today, invisible fetters remain. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Gender Gap Report, India ranks 129 out of 146 countries, with glaring gaps in political representation and economic participation. Only about 24% of Indian women are part of the formal workforce, compared to nearly 80% of men. In leadership roles, women make up less than 15% of parliament seats. These numbers show how the chains of the past still shape our present.

A message for women:

Your freedom is not a gift to be received, but a truth to be lived. Stand with dignity, question without fear, and remember that power does not mean domination but creation. When women rise in awareness and wisdom, they don’t just uplift themselves — they shift the whole fabric of society.